2daughters
New member
(I get that I'm probably going to be lambasted here for this post.. but take the following with a grain of salt.)
I'm a frequent visitor and sometimes contributor to this sub and I've been noticing something the last little while.. a lot of your dogs are overweight.
Yeah, I know.. it's taboo to say things like that. People tend to get offended at a comment like this about their dogs almost as quickly as if the comment was being lobbed at themselves. But as more and more pictures of unhealthy dogs show up, I'm finding it harder and harder to not comment about the weight of these dogs... so, if you're still with me, here's some information you can take or leave at your pleasure.
Our dogs depend on us to be responsible for them. To give them a good life and help them lead a healthy lifestyle. To watch out for them and help them be a part of our lives as long as they can. I think we can all agree that a dog that looks like this is carrying "a little extra". But even dogs that look like this are pushing it.
See this chart over at petcarerx.com. Does your dog fit into the 4-5 category? It should. You can look here if you want more detail. If your dog doesn't have a long-haired coat, you should be able to see a little bit of ribs sometimes, especially when they're running or laying on their side (GSDs are a "ribby" breed). You should be able to see that nice tuck in their abdomen and a little bit of hip bone. The definition/dip between their hips and stomach should be visible. This and this are what you're aiming for. A few more examples.
If your dog is actually at this healthy weight, you'll get your fair share of "your dog is too skinny!" and "are you actually feeding that thing?".. sometimes even from your own vet! People have gotten used to seeing this breed overweight, so dogs at the actual, correct weight can look out of place. Don't let that make you feel guilty. And I'm not here to tell you that it's not ok for your dog to be big. While I prefer sheps that meet the standards, I get that there are dogs out there that are 100lbs and the perfect weight for their structure. I also get that there are dogs out there that are 100lbs and should be 85. Please remember that you have a breed that is more prone to hip problems and excess weight on those joints does not help over time. Also, just like in humans, excess weight can cause other health problems and just plain shortens life spans.
I'm not trying to be abrasive here.. just hoping to show a few people what to look for and only for the sake of your pets. If you can't see ribs and you can't see a tuck, it might be time to take a look at Deisel's diet.
/soapbox
I'm a frequent visitor and sometimes contributor to this sub and I've been noticing something the last little while.. a lot of your dogs are overweight.
Yeah, I know.. it's taboo to say things like that. People tend to get offended at a comment like this about their dogs almost as quickly as if the comment was being lobbed at themselves. But as more and more pictures of unhealthy dogs show up, I'm finding it harder and harder to not comment about the weight of these dogs... so, if you're still with me, here's some information you can take or leave at your pleasure.
Our dogs depend on us to be responsible for them. To give them a good life and help them lead a healthy lifestyle. To watch out for them and help them be a part of our lives as long as they can. I think we can all agree that a dog that looks like this is carrying "a little extra". But even dogs that look like this are pushing it.
See this chart over at petcarerx.com. Does your dog fit into the 4-5 category? It should. You can look here if you want more detail. If your dog doesn't have a long-haired coat, you should be able to see a little bit of ribs sometimes, especially when they're running or laying on their side (GSDs are a "ribby" breed). You should be able to see that nice tuck in their abdomen and a little bit of hip bone. The definition/dip between their hips and stomach should be visible. This and this are what you're aiming for. A few more examples.
If your dog is actually at this healthy weight, you'll get your fair share of "your dog is too skinny!" and "are you actually feeding that thing?".. sometimes even from your own vet! People have gotten used to seeing this breed overweight, so dogs at the actual, correct weight can look out of place. Don't let that make you feel guilty. And I'm not here to tell you that it's not ok for your dog to be big. While I prefer sheps that meet the standards, I get that there are dogs out there that are 100lbs and the perfect weight for their structure. I also get that there are dogs out there that are 100lbs and should be 85. Please remember that you have a breed that is more prone to hip problems and excess weight on those joints does not help over time. Also, just like in humans, excess weight can cause other health problems and just plain shortens life spans.
I'm not trying to be abrasive here.. just hoping to show a few people what to look for and only for the sake of your pets. If you can't see ribs and you can't see a tuck, it might be time to take a look at Deisel's diet.
/soapbox
